Long road ahead to restore stature of stayers

[Katewerk]

http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/news/b ... s/2207186/

"We made a number of suggestions which, with the encouragement and support of the BHA's racing department, have been taken up and are on a path that we hope will be a start on the way to remedying the situation and making the staying horse a more attractive proposition to both breed, own and race.

A higher percentage of horses are bred for sale than ever before and we should not blame the breeders for following the trend, which appears to have accelerated over recent years, of breeding early-season, quick-return two-year-olds to fulfil the wish of the modern owner who wants and expects results in the first season of owning a racehorse.

[...]

The TBA and the BHA recognise this, but accept that changing attitudes is a long-term process and that just programming more and more valuable staying races for more stoutly bred horses, which are not being bred in the numbers required..."